Is
vampirism a condition that exists outside of folklore and film? Are
there real living people who psychically feed on human life force — or
even on blood? What is the source of these supernatural hungers? The
Atlanta Vampire Alliance has the answers. Formed in 2005, the AVA is a
research group devoted to the modern condition of vampirism — but
Dracula would never recognize these vampires as kin. The vampires of
the AVA are living human beings, often psychic, who have a need for the
life force of others, and they have come together as a group to study
and better understand that need.

This is no fly-by-night venture. The AVA's Vampire and Energy Work Research Survey (Suscitatio Enterprises, LLC - http://www.suscitatio.com),
circulated to thousands of self-identified vampires and energy workers
around the world, has hundreds of questions, focusing on everything
from an individual's religious beliefs to the minute details of their
medical history. The AVA's goal is to gather hard statistics about real
vampires — statistics which they hope will ultimately be taken
seriously in an academic context. Part of this goal has already been
achieved. Featured in the recent book, Vampires in Their Own Words, the
AVA has also worked with several individuals attached to colleges as
part of academic research. Most recently, they have started working
with author and fellow Paranormal Insider blogger Rosemary Ellen Guiley
to help add their knowledge to the future re-release of her landmark
work, Vampires Among Us. The ongoing research of the AVA may very well
change the way vampirism is defined.

For this anthology, vampire Michelle Belanger convinced nearly two
dozen real-life vampires to break the code of silence that has kept
their fascinating subculture shrouded in secrecy. Sometimes
provocative, sometimes surprisingly down-to-earth, these candid
firsthand accounts come from both psi vampires who feed on energy and
sanguine vampires who drink actual blood. Their true stories shed light
on a variety of topics, including awakening to vampirism, the
compulsion to feed and feeding practices, donor ethics and etiquette,
and vampire traditions and codes of behavior.

[Click Book To Order]

[Click Book To Order]

"Vampires Today: The Truth About Modern Vampirism"http://www.amazon.com/Vampires-Today-Truth-Modern-Vampirism/dp/0313364729http://www.abc-clio.com/products/overview.aspx?productid=111080Joseph Laycock, PhDPraeger Publishers - May 30, 2009ISBN: 0-313-36472-9Vampires are not just the stuff of folklore and fiction. This book
explores the modern world of vampirism in all its variety. Based upon
extensive interviews with members of the Atlanta Vampire Alliance and
others within vampire communities throughout the United States,
Vampires Today looks at the many expressions of vampirism: "lifestyle
vampires," those who adopt a culture and a gothic ascetic associated
with the vampires of art and legend; "real vampires," those who believe
they must actually consume blood and/or psychic energy for their well
being; or others who self-identify in some way as vampires. Is
vampirism a religion? Is it a fantasy? Is it a medical condition? Is it
a little bit of each? Throughout the world, untold numbers of people
are self-identifying as "vampires" and following the ways of
"vampirism." Over the years, but particularly in the past decade or so,
vampirism has come under increased study, yet most scholarship has
portrayed the vampire community at best as a cultural phenomenon and at
worst as a religious cult. In this book, author Laycock explores the
modern world of vampirism in all its variety. Having interviewed many
vampires across the country, both "lifestylers" and "real," even those
"reluctants" who try not to be vampires, he argues that today's
vampires are best understood as an identity group and that vampirism
has caused a profound change in how individuals choose to define
themselves. As vampires come "out of the closet," either as followers
of a "religion" or "lifestyle" or as people biologically distinct from
other humans, their confrontation with mainstream society will raise
questions about the definition of "normal" and what it means to be
human. In this book the reader will meet "lifestyle" vampires, who
adopt a culture and a gothic ascetic associated with the vampires of
art and legend; and "real" vampires, who believe that they must
actually consume blood and/or psychic energy for their well being. The
reader will hear from members of the Atlanta Vampire Alliance and will
learn about the Order of the Vampyre, the Ordo Strigoi Vii, and the
Temple of the Vampire. Even before Dracula and Bella Lugosi, people
have been fascinated with vampires, and this interest has continued,
through Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Anne Rice's Interview with the
Vampire and other novels, to HBO's new series True Blood and the recent
big-screen hit Twilight. Readers will find the details of real vampire
life--including vampire role-playing games, grimoires, "vampyre" balls,
vampire houses like House Sahjaza and House Kheperu, the vampire
"caste" system, and other details--utterly fascinating.

The mere mention of vampires used to be enough to make people think of a nocturnal predator. But over the centuries the vampire has changed from monstrous villain to sexual object, for both men and women alike. Allure of the Vampire examines our intimate attraction to these beings in a detailed manner. Now, join occult author Corvis Nocturnum as he reveals the fascinating evolution of this icon as it has lured and enticed us in folklore, film and books from the days of ancient civilization to the living breathing inhabitants of our modern subculture, the vampire community.

[Click Book To Order]

[Click Book To Order]

"The Encyclopedia of Vampires and Werewolves" - 2nd Editionhttp://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Vampires-Werewolves-Rosemary-Guiley/dp/0816081808Rosemary Ellen GuileyCheckmark Books; Second Edition - June 30, 2011ISBN: 0816081808The Encyclopedia of Vampires and Werewolves, Second Edition provides more than 500 entries exploring the supernatural aspects of these creatures and their pop culture counterparts. Entries describe supposed true historical accounts, how vampires and werewolves come into existence, beliefs about vampires and werewolves, and real-life creatures and cases that may have inspired their legends. The most popular fictional vampires from a range of media are discussed, along with the people who helped create them.

- Vampire and werewolf legends from many world cultures- Overviews of the most popular vampire and werewolf movies and television shows from Dracula and The Wolf Man to True Blood and Twilight- Discussions of the most influential literature, such as Dracula, Dead Until Dark, Interview with a Vampire, and I Am Legend- Biographies of key figures in vampire and werewolf literature and lore, including Lord Byron, Montague Summers, Bram Stoker, Richard Matheson, Anne Rice, Charlaine Harris, Elizabeth Miller, Stephenie Meyer, Vlad Tepes, and many others- Real-life vampire and werewolf lifestyle subcultures.

Revised, updated, and enlarged, this vast reference is an alphabetic tour of the psychosexual, macabre world of the blood-sucking undead. Digging deep into the lore, myths, and reported realities of vampires and vampire legends from across the globe, many facets are uncovered -- historical, literary, mythological, biographical, and popular. From Vlad the Impaler and Barnabas Collins to Dracula and Lestat, this exhaustive guide furnishes more than 500 essays, a vampire chronology, and 60 pages of vampire resources. Complete with detailed illustrations and photographs, the third edition of this popular authority includes a wealth of current events, including the Twilight phenomenon; contemporary authors of vampire romance; the growth and development of genuine, self-identified vampire communities; and prominent TV shows from Buffy to True Blood.

[Click Book To Order]

[Click Book To Order]

"Real Vampires, Night Stalkers and Creatures from the Darkside"http://www.amazon.com/Vampires-Night-Stalkers-Creatures-Darkside/dp/1578592550Brad SteigerVisible Ink Press - September 1, 2009ISBN: 1578592550A chilling chronicle of the often ignored history of vampirism as it has surfaced repeatedly in news articles, historical accounts, and first person interviews, this shocking account of occultist rituals and the inhuman forces that influence them shines a light on the horrifying truth. Revealing that real vampires are not immortal, do not have fangs or sleep in coffins, and have no fear of sunlight or crucifixes, the examination dispels many myths but also confirms the truth behind several traits of real vampires, such as the insatiable thirst for blood and the dream of an eternal soul. Complete with 30 spine-tingling tales of the hideous wraiths and creatures that lurk in shadow, this fascinating collection includes the stories of the Mexican prostitute who mesmerized an entire village, convincing them she was an Incan goddess who required human sacrifice for her magic; the three teenagers who left a trail across the South as they conducted blood-drinking rituals with animals; and the mysterious Lady in Black who draws psychic energy from men who dare approach her as she wanders through city streets and parks.

"Gathering Data with the Vampire: Analyzing Causes and Effects of an Introspective Survey by the Vampire Community"Annual Conference of American Academy of Religion, November 17, 2007Joseph Laycock, PhD Boston University & MTS Harvard Divinity Schoolhttp://www.aarweb.org

Abstract: The Vampire community is an acephalous movement of individuals who
define themselves as vampires because of their need to consume the
blood and/or the psychic energy of other people in order to maintain
their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Most practitioners
consider vampirism as a spiritual identity and the Vampire community
has previously been studied as a new religious movement. While small
“houses” of vampires exist throughout the country, the community is
predominated by solitary practitioners communicating online. In March
of 2006, the Atlanta Vampire Alliance (AVA) launched a survey project
of the worldwide Vampire community. With a budget of $6000, the survey
features over 1000 questions and has been translated into five
languages. Drawing on ethnographic research with the AVA, this paper
views the survey project as creating an inter-subjective consensus and
analyzes the themes of validity and traditionalizing power inherent in
such an endeavor.

San Diego, CA - AAR 2007 Conference

San Francisco, CA - ASR 2009 Conference

"Ontological Rebellion: The Otherkin Community and the Struggle for Reality"Association for the Sociology of Religion (ASR) Annual Meeting, August 8, 2009Joseph Laycock, PhD Boston University & MTS Harvard Divinity Schoolhttp://www.sociologyofreligion.com

Abstract: I [Joseph Laycock] argue that the otherkin community is best understood a Durkheimian moral community capable of collectively generating its own social facts––that is, social realities that exist independently of the individual. Although the otherkin community is not a particularly strong moral community and lacks the unity and intensity of a religious sect, this reading is essential for understanding the community’s function. By forming such a community, otherkin are able to gain meaning and legitimacy for their subjective identity and mount a form of resistance to conventional epistemology.

Real Vampires as an Identity Group: Analyzing Causes and Effects of an Introspective Survey by the Vampire CommunityJoseph Laycock, PhD - Author of Vampires Today: The Truth About Modern VampirismNova Religio - The Journal of Alternative and Emergent ReligionsAugust 2010, Vol. 14, No. 1, Pages 4–23http://www.jstor.org/pss/10.1525/nr.2010.14.1.4

Abstract:

"Real vampires" believe that they must either consume blood or feed on "subtle" energy in order to maintain their physical, mental, and spiritual health. Recent scholarship has analyzed vampirism as a religious movement or as a cluster of "vampire religions." This article argues that vampirism should be viewed foremost as an identity around which social and religious institutions have formed. This model accounts for the mosaic of religious and cultural orientations held by vampires and acknowledges the vampire community's claims that vampirism is not a choice. It also facilitates a functionalist reading of vampire discourse as validating a new category of person.

Otherkin are individuals who identify as "not entirely human." Scholarship has framed this identity claim as religious because it is frequently supported by a framework of metaphysical beliefs. This article draws on survey data and interviews with Otherkin in order to provide a more thorough treatment of the phenomenon and to assess and qualify the movement's religious dimensions. It is argued that, in addition to having a substantively religious quality, the Otherkin community serves existential and social functions commonly associated with religion. In the final analysis, the Otherkin community is regarded as an alternative nomos--a socially constructed worldview--that sustains alternate ontologies.

Do We Always Practice What We Preach? Real Vampires' Fears Of Coming Out Of The Coffin To Social Workers And Helping ProfessionalsDJ Williams, MSW, MS, PhD & Emily E. Prior, MACritical Social Work, 2015 Vol. 16, No. 1http://www1.uwindsor.ca/criticalsocialwork/Vampires

Abstract:

Helping professionals in multiple disciplines, including social workers, are commonly taught to embrace human diversity, think critically, empower clients, and respect client self-determination. Indeed, much of clinical practice with clients is predicated on such professional values, which are important to the establishment of a strong therapeutic alliance and an effective treatment outcome. This study applies qualitative measures, such as an open-ended questionnaire and creative analytic practice (CAP) strategy in the form of poetic representation, to provide insights into how people with a specific nontraditional identity, that of “real vampire,” feel about disclosing this salient identity to helping professionals within a clinical context. As a CAP method, poetic representation is valuable in acknowledging participants’ subjective realities and preserving emotional intensity in participants’ responses. Results suggest that nearly all participants were distrustful of social workers and helping professionals and preferred to “stay in the coffin” for fear of being misunderstood, labeled, and potentially having to face severe repercussions to their lives.

Social workers are obligated to embrace human diversity, challenge social injustice, and work to empower vulnerable populations. Two separate, but somewhat related, law-abiding populations that remain hidden due to legitimate fears of marginalization and oppression, including among social workers, are the BDSM and real vampire communities. In an effort to educate social workers who likely will encounter (whether knowingly or not) individuals with BDSM or vampire identities, this article discusses current scholarly literature on these communities and their practices. Suggestions for empowering people who practice BDSM or vampirism are also provided.